thank you notes are thoughtful

thank you card by rifle paper co.

I saw this post on The Letter Writer's Alliance and was freshly motivated to stick with my Christmas thank you note writing (I know, sorely behind!).   The post linked to an essay featured on thisibelieve.org about the importance of writing thank you letters.

Michelle Lee, the woman who wrote the essay, says that, as children, she and her sister wrote their Christmas thank yous by December 26th at the latest.  Wow.  I will be doing well to get mine finished by January 26th.

I love the idea of writing thank you notes, and I love the actual act of writing thank you notes, so I am not sure where the breakdown occurs with me.  I think it's the right thing to do, and I enjoy doing it, so why do I take so long to write or sometimes do not write at all?

Perhaps I do not prioritize it by setting aside a certain time and place to do it.  Ms. Lee says that her childhood Christmas thank you writing was a day-after-Christmas ritual in her home.  She and her sister had their own pretty address books and received stationery as Christmas gifts.  I love this idea.  I think that if our thank you note writing was incorporated as part of a holiday tradition, it would get done more consistently.

Ms. Lee still writes thank you letters faithfully as an adult, too.  She writes a few notes (and not just for gifts!) almost every Monday morning and says it is the highlight of her week.

We need a thank you writing day around here.  And a proper address book.  And some pretty stationery and stamps.  And an inky pen!  If I had a basket of this kind of loveliness sitting out on the desk or side table, I might be a letter-writing fiend.  For me, that is probably key--I need things to be accessible and out in plain sight.

Be sure to read the essay--it is inspiring.  And help me out here--what do you do to stay on top of your thank you notes?  What's your process?

Off to gather my supplies (which would, ideally, be one of everything from Rifle Paper) . . .